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Steve Jobs Audiobook
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(4.00) - 104,829 listener ratings
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Plot Summary
No one person changed the face of the 21st century like Steve Jobs. His biographer, Walter Isaacson, says, "His legacy is transforming seven industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, digital publishing, and retail stores. His legacy is creating what became the most valuable company on earth. . . . He was a genius at connecting art to technology, of making leaps based on intuition and imagination."
Isaacson explored Jobs’ personal stories by means of more than 40 interviews in which he and Jobs went walking, or sat in Jobs’ garden, while Isaacson just let him talk. Aware of Jobs’ legendary "Reality Distortion Field," Isaacson supplemented these informal talks by interviewing over 100 of Jobs’ friends, enemies, colleagues, and competitors.
The result is a vivid, if incomplete, portrait of a man who was ruled by contradictions: he was a counterculturist who became a billionaire through business; he was harsh to those he most inspired. Further, Jobs demanded no editorial control over the content of this biography. He did not even read it before his death at the age of 56 from pancreatic cancer on October 5, 2011.
It is an appropriate tribute to Steve Jobs that this biography is one of 100,000 available for instant download at The AudioBookStore.
Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and Kissinger: A Biography, is CEO of the Aspen Institute. He is former chairman of CNN and managing editor of Time magazine. Isaacson currently lives in Washington, D.C., with his family.
"This work is not only the biography of the intuitive genius called Steve Jobs but also that of Apple, the world's most creative company. I was absolutely enthralled and became almost obsessive with reading it. I will never use my iPod, iPad or iPhone again without thinking of the man who knew we would need these things and made them. And made them so beautifully. As he said: Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page." Thank you for the music, Steve."
— Shelley (5 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
2012 Audie Award Finalist for Audiobook of the Year
Walter Isaacson’s “enthralling” (The New Yorker) worldwide bestselling biography of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.
Based on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than 100 family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing. Isaacson’s portrait touched millions of readers.
At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.
Although Jobs cooperated with the author, he asked for no control over what was written. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. He himself spoke candidly about the people he worked with and competed against.
His friends, foes, and colleagues offer an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.
His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.
Steve Jobs is the inspiration for the movie of the same name starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, and Jeff Daniels, directed by Danny Boyle with a screenplay by Aaron Sorkin.
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Quotes
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“[Steve Job’s] story calls for a book that is clear, elegant, and concise enough to qualify as an iBio. Mr. Isaacson’s “Steve Jobs” does its solid best to hit that target.”
— New York Times -
“This is a timely and complete portrait that pulls no punches and gives insight into a man whose contradictions were in many ways his greatest strength.”
— Amazon.com, editorial review -
“A must read.”
— Sunday Times (London) -
“Exemplary.”
— Independent (London) -
“Richly entertaining.”
— Mail on Sunday (London) -
“Astounding.”
— Evening Standard (London) -
“Isaacson’s exhaustively researched but well-paced, candid, and gripping narrative gives us a great warts-and-all portrait of an entrepreneurial spirit—and one of the best accounts yet of the human side of the computer biz.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Dylan Baker’s narration is straightforward and precise, and maintains listener interest throughout—even during sections of text that detail the dryer aspects of the industry.”
— Publishers Weekly (audio review) -
“Jobs was an American original, and Isaacson’s impeccably researched, vibrant biography—fully endorsed by his subject—does his legacy proud.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Awards
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An Amazon Best Book of the Month, November 2011
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A 2012 Financial Times Best Book of the Year
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#1 New York Times bestseller
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A 2011 Time Magazine Top 10 Book for Nonfiction
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Finalist for the 2012 Audie Award
Steve Jobs Listener Reviews
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Daryl, 5/7/2023
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dzyner, 6/20/2021
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Sm., 11/5/2020
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Test, 11/19/2017
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Michael Ta, 4/2/2017
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" Excellent, detailed, multi-faceted, awe-inspiring book by one of the greatest biographers of our time. "
— Per, 12/5/2016 -
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Tommy Truss, 5/12/2016
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" Great book. Excellent insight into how a genius operates. Impressive. "
— Marc, 2/17/2014 -
" This is a marvelous biography. It doesn't mince words about Jobs' less desirable traits, that's for sure! But what genius isn't flawed? It's kind of amazing that Jobs gave Isaacson such carte blanche to write his story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. "
— Virginia, 2/17/2014 -
" I loved every second of it! Extraordinary man..not perfect...but extraordinary and so much to learn from and understand. You reflect back on your own life and get to take in the various lessons...ideas..methods and principals. It makes you want to go out there and make a difference! Thank you Steve. "
— Vivian, 2/11/2014 -
" Great man, great life, great book. "
— Christoffer, 2/6/2014 -
" Exceptionally well written tale about a man who changed the world, his innovation and drive were awe inspiring along with his taste and creativity. A forward thinker who will be legendary for what he accomplished with technology. "
— Michelle, 1/23/2014 -
" Not only one of the greatest influences in technology i our generation but one of my personal role models. Reading this helped me look at my hero in a different light. "
— Leon, 1/20/2014 -
" Really interesting read! He was definitely not a likable guy. However, he was indeed a visionary! "
— Carol, 1/15/2014 -
" Greatest biography. Completely timely I read the day it was published "
— Kpickar, 1/14/2014 -
" This book is awesome if you like Apple, are a business junkie and get inspired by stories like Steve's. I find it hard to put down. "
— Robert, 1/14/2014 -
" I was amazed how Isaacson wrote this biography as a story. Steve Jobs had an amazing life, was a complicated man and in this book he shares all that with us. Perfectly written. "
— Carlos, 1/14/2014 -
" A brilliant man with matching passion. A great book. "
— Jaya, 1/8/2014 -
" An intense guy, driven to make great products, bob dylan lover, proponent of simplicity and integration. Great insight into Jobs (not all Sunshine and Moonbeams) and the full Apple story up to the iPad. "
— Diana, 1/2/2014 -
" Very enjoyable. It started getting a little stale after awhile (in the early 2000 time period), however very good insight into Steve Jobs (both the bad and good). "
— Doug, 12/27/2013 -
" While he is a serious asshole, this was a really interesting read. Gives a lot of context to the history of silicon valley and a great background to the spirit of Appple. I guess it says a lot that I purchased an iPhone 5 soon after finishing. "
— Darrell, 12/17/2013 -
" Very inspiring book. I had a hard time putting it down. On a personal level Jobs may have been flawed, but just think how much he accomplished in such a short lifetime. He was right when it came to simplicity and philosophy of design. I absolutely loved him turning his nose up to the PC! "
— Tara, 12/11/2013 -
" This is an inside look at the mind of Steve Jobs, how he approached life and his vision to "create great products". "
— Wayne, 10/1/2013 -
" Far from the final word on the legacy, far from the most complete work, but certainly more than worth the read. "
— Jamie, 9/9/2013 -
" I try to hear some book scien to improve me English "
— Miguel, 4/22/2013 -
" A very well written book. Although towards the end, it seemed as if Jobs was successful in getting the author in his 'reality distortion field'. Nevertheless this is one of the best books I ve ever read. "
— Vaibhav, 2/26/2013 -
" Walter Isaacson did a good job of balancing the genius-tyrant aspect of Jobs. "
— Paula, 2/22/2013 -
" I struggled to get through this book. It was definitely very interesting, but I just couldn't stand who Steve actually was as a person. I would just get mad when they were talking about how he treated his employees. "
— Heather, 1/1/2013 -
" Lost interest considering its a 577 page book but it would be good to someone that loves learning about people. "
— Madison, 4/10/2012 -
" For me a really great book that I enjoyed reading, because all things computer are of interest to me. "
— Ted, 2/7/2012 -
" Know about the visionary in explicit detail "
— Satish, 1/15/2012 -
" I REALLY liked this book. I gained some new insights and perspectives. "
— Allison, 11/21/2011 -
" It's an engaging, eye-opening and, overall, a well-done summation of an unbelievably intriguing person. In the end, you don't quite know what to think of Steve Jobs the person, but, through his contributions, his legacy will live on for years and years and years. "
— Alex, 11/8/2011 -
" Awesome book about a great character and visionary - Steve Jobs was one of a kind. "
— Paul, 11/8/2011 -
" I liked the book much better than I liked Steve Jobs. What a disappointment. I guess genius and good behavior don't always correlate. "
— Francha, 11/6/2011 -
" The man wasn't perfect (who is!?), but he had three amazing and informative Acts to his business life and sat at the helm of more than one company that changed the world.<br/><br/>And Walter Isaacson is a helluva narrator. <br/><br/>Worth the read. "
— Jim, 11/6/2011 -
" A fascinating look at the life of Jobs who saw the world in black or white and lived a life that swung back and forth between both extremes. There's a lot to not like about Steve, but one thing to give him credit for is allowing this book to be written without his editorial control. "
— Phil, 11/6/2011 -
" As a recovered Mac fanboy who started way back in the 90s, there wasn't an awful lot new here in terms of the Apple story. <br/> <br/>That being said, it was an enjoyable read, particularly if you're trying to build a company. "
— Nigel, 11/6/2011
About Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson is the author of highly acclaimed works of nonfiction, including several biographies that have made the #1 spot on the New York Times bestsellers list. A professor of history at Tulane University, he has been CEO of the Aspen Institute, chair of CNN, and editor of Time. Visit him at Isaacson.Tulane.edu.
About Dylan Baker
Dylan Baker is an American stage, screen, and television actor. He attended Georgetown Prep and William and Mary College before earning his BFA at Southern Methodist University, where his passion for acting was ignited with numerous stage roles. Later refining his talents at Yale’s School of Drama, Baker turned professional with big screen roles in movies like Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Delirious, and Love Potion No. 9. His audiobook narration has won him eleven AudioFile Earphones Awards.